The Cusack Music Scruzz Bass is a bass fuzz and overdrive pedal from Cusack Music. Like the company's Screamer Bass, it is built on a Tube Screamer-inspired overdrive modified for bass guitar, but it adds a second fuzz circuit on top. The two circuits can be mixed to taste, and Cusack says the pedal "runs the full gamut of gain, from subtle grit to buzz saw"1. The pedal is discontinued: Cusack's product page is marked DISCONTINUED as of 2026-10-261.
The controls
The Scruzz Bass keeps a compact control set:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the gain of the overdrive1 |
| Level | Sets the volume1 |
| 3-way clipping toggle | Left: silicon, center: asymmetrical LED, right: Schottky clipping1 |
The clipping toggle is the tone-shaping heart of the overdrive side: silicon, asymmetrical LED and Schottky diodes each clip the signal differently, giving three distinct flavors of breakup from one pedal1. On the fuzz side, the design follows the Screamer Fuzz formula, where Cusack notes "You can mix either the overdrive or the fuzz to your liking"2.
The Never-Off design: bypass and power
The Scruzz Bass belongs to Cusack's "Never-Off" line, and that shapes two practical decisions for any player considering one1:
- No true bypass switch. Cusack states that "Never-Off" pedals "do not come equipped with true bypass switches or battery power capability" and that "these products are meant to" work with a switcher system1. The same wording appears on the page for the Cusack Scruzz, the guitar-oriented "Never-Off" version of the Screamer Fuzz3.
- No battery. Power comes from a standard center negative 9V DC supply, which is not included, and the pedal draws about 9mA1.
Because the Scruzz Bass has no true bypass and no battery option, it is aimed at players who use a loop switcher or similar switching system, and it always needs an external 9V DC supply on the board1.
Where it sits in Cusack's range
The Scruzz Bass is the bass version of a design Cusack has built several ways12:
- Cusack Screamer Fuzz Bass: the same Tube Screamer-inspired overdrive modified for bass guitar with an added fuzz circuit, also discontinued2.
- Screamer Bass: the overdrive-only bass version, without the fuzz circuit; Cusack points players wanting more gain to the Screamer Fuzz Bass4.
- Cusack Scruzz: the "Never-Off" version of the Cusack Screamer Fuzz for guitar3.
The Screamer Fuzz formula earned favorable press when Guitar World reviewed the original Screamer and Screamer Fuzz in 2008: "Both pedals make amazingly natural fuzz and overdrive sounds in a '60s vein, with the Screamer Fuzz throwing in some cool" broken-amp-style sounds, the reviewer wrote5.
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Questions
Does the Cusack Scruzz Bass have true bypass?
No. The Scruzz Bass is one of Cusack Music's "Never-Off" pedals, which do not come equipped with true bypass switches. Cusack describes these products as meant to work with a switcher system, where the switching hardware handles routing instead of the pedal's own bypass switch.
Can the Cusack Scruzz Bass run on a battery?
No. As a "Never-Off" pedal, the Scruzz Bass has no battery power capability. It runs on a standard center negative 9V DC supply, which is not included, and draws about 9mA.
What does the clipping switch on the Scruzz Bass do?
The Scruzz Bass has a 3-way clipping toggle that changes the diodes shaping the overdrive's distortion. The left position is silicon, the center position is asymmetrical LED, and the right position is Schottky. Each gives the clipping a different character, so you can tailor how the overdrive breaks up.
Is the Cusack Scruzz Bass discontinued?
Yes. Cusack Music's product page for the Scruzz Bass is marked DISCONTINUED, so the pedal is no longer in current production. The related Screamer Fuzz Bass is likewise listed as discontinued.
Sources (5)
- Scruzz Bass Never-Off Bass Fuzz, Cusack Music
- Screamer Fuzz Bass Overdrive and Fuzz, Cusack Music
- Scruzz Never-Off Screamer Fuzz Pedal, Cusack Music
- Screamer Bass Overdrive Pedal for Bass Guitar, Cusack Music
- Cusack Screamer & Screamer Fuzz, Guitar World, 2008-03-27
